


making friends with read receipts

by stubborn_jerk



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Femslash February 2021, Gyms, Humor, Meet-Cute, Multi, Queerplatonic Relationships, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29758791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stubborn_jerk/pseuds/stubborn_jerk
Summary: Feeling desperation rising in her throat, she amended, “Dearest, I just need to beat Ilkay's record. I’ll beg, if I have to.”Jet took a sip of his tea. “There is a problem with that.”“What.”“I do not know what being enamored looks like and, you know this, I do not do well under pressure.”Buddy scoffed. “Just pretend I'm the most thrilling car chase scene you've ever watched, darling.”
Relationships: Buddy Aurinko & Jet Sikuliaq, Buddy Aurinko/Vespa Ilkay
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	making friends with read receipts

**Author's Note:**

> i should be studying but i hashed this out as fast as i could so if you spot any typos that's on me. happy femslash feb!
> 
> fic title and general vibe from [this song](https://open.spotify.com/track/4NFIAz3mPVBIoVwlAqe1jj?si=NGYTLKagSFeoBYtALkJcDw)

Buddy tried to block him into the corner. “I _need_ that membership, darling, just pretend you’re enamored with me, it won’t hurt a fly.”

Jet stared her down, holding his mug of tea to his chest. “I do not see how this could help you win Vespa's favor.”

“ _Vespa?_ ” Buddy scoffed, crossing her arms. “How dare you speak the devil’s name in our home.”

Jet shook his head knowingly at her.

Feeling desperation rising in her throat, she amended, “Dearest, I just need to beat Ilkay's record. I’ll beg, if I have to.”

Jet took a sip of his tea. “There is a problem with that.”

“What.”

“I do not know what being enamored looks like and, you know this, I do not do well under pressure.”

Buddy scoffed. “Just pretend I'm the most thrilling car chase scene you've ever watched, darling.”

Jet only drank more of his blasted tea.

Buddy stared up at him as imploringly as she could. She never could pull off the puppy dog eyes but damn if she wasn’t going to try. It wasn’t like she’d never asked Jet for anything before (at least, not within the past… few hours, actually. She couldn’t open her bottle last night and Jet helped her with it.)

Jet stared back at her, undeterred.

“I’ll do the laundry within the next month,” she bargained.

“You do not know how to—”

“I’ll bring it to the laundromat for you.”

Jet blinked.

“I’m surprised you even know what that is.” After a pause, Jet cracked a smile. Buddy didn’t like it one bit.

“Two months.”

See. She should have known to trust her gut.

Jet got maybe halfway through his drink before she cracked under the pressure of his patient silence and said, “Fine. Two months.”

“It’s a pleasure doing business, Buddy.”

“I never should have taught you how to haggle.”

* * *

Vespa grabbed onto the farthest hold she could reach before looking back down.

“Are you giving up, Steel?”

“No!” He was barely off the ground from where she was hanging. “Are _you_?”

“I’m almost at the top, moron. If you looked up instead of looking at how far you are from the ground, you might have actually learned something.”

“You just have to—”

“Grab on and pull yourself up, yeah, you said,” she taunted, turning back to the wall to keep climbing. “I don’t see you doing much of it.”

“M-mind your own business!”

She hauled herself up to the top, turning to sit at the edge. From where she sat, she could see nearly most of the gym. The rock wall itself was situated perfectly so everyone walking close enough to the entrance could see it from the windows.

And that meant Vespa herself had a very clear view of the entrance when, right on time, Buddy Aurinko walked in.

Begrudgingly, she had to admit that Buddy was always a looker. She was a fast climber too, almost as good as Vespa was on her worst days. They’ve never really talked though. Most of her information came from prodding at Steel.

It was hard to talk to a woman whose laugh made you want to be funny. Humor wasn’t really Vespa’s strong suit, though these days humoring Steel’s incessant competitiveness was one of the things keeping her out of the clinic.

Buddy looked just as regal afar as she usually did, hair tied back in boxer braids, sensibly but fashionably dressed. Despite looking like she was fresh off an athleisure wear photoshoot every time she looked at her, Vespa didn’t think someone so fit would be a model.

“Eyeing up Aurinko again?”

Vespa turned to look at Juno hauling himself up onto the ledge, though he didn’t seem like he was going to sit up any time soon. “Oh,” she taunted. “Congrats. Think you can get down?”

“One problem at a time,” he panted. “And stop avoiding the question.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, pointedly looking back towards the entrance to try and see where Buddy went.

“You know, if you like her so much, I could talk to her for you—”

Vespa pushed herself off the ledge and turned as she went down.

“H-hey! Vespa!”

“You’re on your own, Steel.”

* * *

“And you live together,” the clerk said, typing in their information.

“Yes.”

“Mister Sikuliaq… You’ve been a member for three months, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve been living with… Miss Aurinko for…”

“Eight years.”

“I see… So, is this a recent development?” They looked up at Buddy, who was standing as close as she could manage, which wasn't entirely uncomfortable. The gym’s office AC was running very low and her windbreaker wasn’t exactly built for heat insulation, and for such a tall man, Jet Sikuliaq emitted heat like a furnace.

“Not quite. When was it, darling, five years ago?”

Jet gave her a look.

From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like Mister Sikuliaq was merely glancing at her. But living with this man for eight years made it easier for her to read the look as ‘stop talking or I will crack up.’

You see, five years prior to this meeting with Jet Sikuliaq, Buddy had gotten out of intense chemotherapy. Apart from helping her pay the rent, Jet had extended her the courtesy of nursing her back to health. And call their humor a little dark, maybe a little sappy, but it was what it was and she loved it all the same.

“Yes,” he said eventually. “Five years. About to be six, actually.”

Buddy counted the months up. “Ah, you’re right. Good eye, darling. I almost forgot. You’d have been very displeased if I missed our wine and dine sessions.”

“Here you go, Mister Sikuliaq,” the clerk said, handing him his membership card back. “Your accounts have been settled.” They smiled. “Please, enjoy your time in the Penum—”

Buddy herded Jet away and out of the dastardly cold office. “Yes, yes, thank you! Good day!” Lower, to be heard only by Jet, she said, “See? Wasn’t that easy? You didn’t even have to lie about anything.”

They entered the lockers.

“I was about to tell them everything.”

“You were not, now get your things in order. I’m pretty sure I saw Ilkay at the walls when we came in.”

Jet only hummed. She stood by as he put their things in one locker.

“What does that hum mean?”

“It does not mean anything. I was merely acknowledging your statement.”

“Yes. I see—”

“But I am remembering that you did not say anything about the fact that you were winning Vespa’s favor when you told me to lie this morning.”

Ah.

Buddy sighed, then turned to leave, knowing Jet would follow.

She entered the gym proper, holding the door open for Jet as she did.

As she waited for him, someone familiar approached.

“Hey, Buddy.”

“Juno Steel, as I live and breathe, I’ve seen neither hide nor hair from you since—”

Juno scoffed. “Since last week, yeah. You gotta stop greeting me like we haven’t seen each other in—”

“Steel!”

Juno ignored the call. Buddy didn’t. Ilkay was standing a ways away, a bottle of water in her hand and a towel strewn over her shoulders. Buddy was careful only to glance.

“— years, Buddy. Hey, how’ve you been, big guy?”

“Juno. It’s been a while.”

“God, I knew there was a reason I don’t talk to either of you often.”

Buddy laughed. “Do you need anything, Juno? I’m afraid Jet and I were just about to start our day.”

“Oh, uh,” and he hesitated. He almost turned to glance back over his shoulder but seemed to think better of it. “Just wanted to ask. Ransom and I just moved in together.”

“Oh! Congratulations!” Buddy knew Ransom had it in him. “When’s the wedding,” she quipped.”

Juno rolled his eye at her. “Har, anyway. I was thinking, if you guys could, I dunno. Because Rita’s throwing a housewarming party in three weeks for some reason and she wanted me to extend the invite—”

“Oh, well, of course. We’ll see you there, darling. Won’t we, dearest?”

“Yes. I am happy for you and Ransom.”

Juno blinked at him. “R-really?”

“Yes. I’m trying to hold myself back from tears right now.”

Buddy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She glanced at Ilkay, then looked back to Juno. “So, is anyone else getting invited or are we your guests of honor?”

“Rita will probably try to invite all my friends from home,” Juno said, shaking his head. “Which won’t end well because, knowing them… But uh,” a look crossed Juno’s face. “Apart from you guys, I invited Vespa, over there.”

He pointed over his shoulder.

With an excuse to look at her, Buddy looked her fill.

Vespa Ilkay was pointedly not looking at them, arms crossed in a very distracting way.

Juno turned, then looked between them. “Have I ever introduced you—”

“Steel.”

“What! You’re gonna see each other at the party anyway!”

Vespa made her way over and—

She was a lot shorter than Buddy imagined.

* * *

She was a lot taller than Vespa saw from afar.

Not that Vespa ever imagined actually talking to Buddy Aurinko apart from the few times she scaled the wall after Vespa had.

Not that Vespa actually thought Buddy was trying to impress her by scaling the wall after her every single time they came across each other.

Not that she was counting.

“Uh,” she started. “I’m Vespa.”

“I know, darling,” Buddy said. “Our Juno here isn’t terribly great with introductions.”

God, did she actually talk like that.

“Hey!” Juno protested.

“Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." She extended a hand for a shake.

Vespa gripped it, glossy nails brushing against the back of her hand. Unwittingly, she said, "You an actor or something?"

Steel laughed. "Yeah. I actually asked if she and Ransom knew each other but…"

"I noticed," she said, dropping Buddy's hand. "Gotta admit, I can't say the comparison's very flattering."

Buddy's tone was sharp. "For me or for dear old Pete?"

She snorted. "We'll see. And who's the big guy?"

Aforementioned Big Guy, as she had no other point of reference apart from when Juno called him that, stepped forward. "Hello. I'm Jet, Buddy's roommate—"

"And partner," Buddy announced loudly. "Isn't that right, dearest?"

“Of course.”

Vespa blinked. "Ah."

Buddy smiled serenely. "Yes? Does there seem to be a problem, darling?"

Vespa looked between her and her roommate… and partner, Jet.

Well, if she actually swung that way, she could see the appeal. Hell, Steel probably did. But Buddy… honestly, she thought Buddy wasn't… _y'know_.

But that didn't matter. She shook her head. Served her right to expect something from afar.

"What?" Steel said, sounding as confused as the day Vespa told him his nose wasn’t allowed to bleed every ten hours. "But— Since when—"

"Oh, I gather that tale's best suited for your housewarming party, Juno. It's been nice meeting you, Dr. Ilkay." Buddy gave her one last red grin before walking off.

“Goodbye, Juno. Vespa.” And off followed Jet.

And as she stood there and watched, as she always did, as Buddy walked away, she couldn’t help but say, “You told her I was a doctor?”

“I’ve mentioned a doctor here at the gym, but I guess she just figured it out herself?”

Vespa gave him the side-eye.

“What! I swear, I wasn’t trying anything funny!”

“Whatever. I’m gonna go take a shower.”

* * *

Vespa rolled her eyes as she ignored Steel’s whining from where he was more than halfway up the wall. She fiddled with her shoelaces as she waited for him to inch up the wall slowly.

“Admirable of you to try with him, really.”

Vespa looked up from her seat just in time to see Buddy sit next to her.

She blinked. “Uh, hey, Buddy.”

Buddy didn’t respond, only looking up at Juno. “Did you know he’s afraid of heights?”

She snorted at that. “Yeah.”

“So, what is this, exposure or physical therapy?”

“More like a dare. If I was his doctor, the only thing I’d tell him to do is to stay away from sharp objects. He keeps telling me the wall is easy so I wanted him to prove it and beat my record.”

“And how fast _is_ your record?”

“On this wall? Around 8 seconds, if I’m being serious about it. It’s a lot easier than the ones I climbed back home.”

Buddy turned to look at her then, incredulous. “You have a wall at home?”

Vespa gave her a bemused look. “No, I used to live in the mountains.”

With nothing to say to that, Buddy looked back up the wall. “I think he’s stuck.”

“You gotta wait for him to call uncle or else he’ll kick you in the face.”

“Right, of course.”

“Say,” Vespa said, hesitating. “Why are you talking to me?”

“What, can’t two women have a little chat in the gym?” Buddy asked wryly.

“We met a week ago, Bud, this is probably the first time you talked to me without Juno or your guy around.”

It was then that she realized that Buddy hadn’t been looking or watching Juno scale the wall this entire time. No, she’d been staring a mile off while Vespa spoke to her, because then she lowered her gaze to the floor in thought.

* * *

“And what did you say,” asked Jet as he took a spoonful of soft-serve into his mouth.

Buddy stirred her drink, agitated. “Well, what was I sup _posed_ to say to that, darling, it’s not as if I walked up to her with an entire script planned out.”

Jet, ever-patient, said nothing.

She sighed. “Alright, fine, yes, I did. But mind you, I only really came up to her to ask her what her wall-climbing record really is.”

“And she told you and you stayed.”

“I couldn’t just walk away from her afterwards, that would have been awkward. What, do you think I could just ask her a question and leave with a quick thanks?”

“Yes.”

She leaned over and tapped him on the nose. “We are two very _different_ people, Jet Sikuliaq, and I love that about us.”

“I know. I do too. But that does not erase the fact that you have not answered my question.”

Buddy let out an explosive, dramatic sigh just because she could. “I told her…”

* * *

“I like to know things about the people I meet,” she said, looking Vespa in the eye with such intensity it kind of stopped her train of thought.

“Uh… yeah, I guess that’s how friendship works?” Vespa said. She laughed, hearing how she sounded. “I’m not really… the friendly type.”

Buddy hummed. “And Juno is?”

“Vespa!” He shouted, right on cue.

Vespa pushed herself up, eager to take the out. “Annoying, is what he is,” she said to Buddy before shouting up a, “You giving up, Steel?”

“No! I can’t get down!”

“What I’m hearing is that you haven’t gotten to the top yet.”

* * *

“So, you haven’t told her anything,” Jet concluded.

Buddy put her glass down on their table. “Mister Sikuliaq, you are very negative when you want to be and I don’t appreciate it.”

“I am not being negative, Buddy. I think that the woman you like should know that you are free to date her at any moment.”

Buddy heaved a sigh and almost brought a hand to her face before she remembered that Jet had just painted her nails a new color and that it was still drying.

Jet looked at her, brows furrowed in confusion in a rare deviation from his usual resting poker face. “I do not understand why you insist on not telling her if you like her so much. Or yourself, for that matter.”

“She’ll find out anyway.”

“You are avoiding the other accusation. And in the meantime, she will not be seeing you as a suitor or a potential partner.”

Buddy pursed her lips at him. “Oh, what do you know?”

“I have spoken to her as well. About you, actually.”

She perked up at that. “What did you tell her?”

* * *

She spotted Jet at the water refilling station by the restrooms.

Seeing him from up close, Vespa could understand some of the appeal, she guessed. He had that rugged and mysterious look to him that matched Buddy’s smoky jazz vibe, and that was as much as Vespa was willing to describe them.

He had broad shoulders, sizable biceps, a baritone, and, most importantly…

“Vespa. It is good to see you,” he said, pulling his ponytail over his shoulder.

He was unerringly polite.

“Jet, right?”

“Yes. Buddy’s roommate.”

And… silence.

Okay, maybe Jet was alright.

They got their water in that comfortable silence (at least it was comfortable to her. She didn’t know if Jet felt the same way.)

“Hey, Jet, can I ask you a question?” She said as they made their way back to the gym proper together.

“You have already, but you may ask one again.”

She snorted. Okay, yeah, he was alright.

She cleared her throat. “When did you and Buddy start… y’know… “

* * *

“No…” Buddy pressed her face into the cushions, moaning into it. She let up for air and said, “Jet, you’ve doomed us all.”

“I have not even told you what I told her.”

“You are an awful liar, Jet Sikuliaq, and an even awful actor, bless your heart.”

“I appreciate your honesty, but I did not lie.”

* * *

Jet didn’t answer, not even when they got the gym. Vespa thought maybe he hadn’t heard or maybe he had and didn’t want to tell her. That was alright, she guessed, it wasn’t necessarily something she should’ve had a right to know about.

But then…

“She had just gotten out of chemo. We’ve been living together for years before that, but without her family’s support, I was the one person she had at her disposal.”

Vespa nodded, a bit stumped, really.

She didn’t know why she even asked. What, did she think she was a homewrecker now? That she was just going to insert herself into these people’s lives?

No, but she had to know.

And now she did. And she understood why Buddy and Jet would be together. In a matter of fact statement, Jet had just described to her years of care and support not even most married people give each other at their age, much less just live-in partners.

“Was that all?”

She blinked. “Yeah. Yes, that’s— thanks for telling me, Jet. I… It’s good to know you two have each other.”

“Thank you. Now, I will be by the weights. Could you spot me?”

“Uh, sure.”

* * *

“... Dearest, I don’t know if that’s somewhat better or worse.”

“It is what it is.”

“You’re correct, but if she has false assumptions—”

“If she has false assumptions, then it is merely because we have chosen to continue to lie to her.”

Buddy nodded. “Why, yes. I suppose we have.” She picked up her glass again, watching its contents stir as she fiddled with the stem. “And I suppose we’ll just have to see at Juno and Ransom’s housewarming party, hm?”

* * *

The last she’d seen of Peter Ransom, he lived a city away from Juno Steel. Regularly, they met up at the middle. Or, rather, as regularly as they could.

Buddy had been privy to a lot of heart-to-heart conversations with Juno over drinks and a snack, most of which had been very much about how he despised being away from Pete for so long, but how he hadn’t wanted to pressure him into a big commitment so fast.

Buddy didn’t know Peter Ransom personally, but if she knew one thing, it was that he was never one for halves.

So here they were, months later, in a homey suburban house with Juno’s dingy car in the driveway.

She waited for Jet to park properly before grabbing their gift and walking up the driveway.

And when the front door opened, Peter Ransom looked as impeccable as the day she met him: overdressed for a job interview at a business she had to shut down.

She smiled.

He tucked his hair behind an ear. “Ma’am! Did you get here alright? It’s a bit difficult to find, but it was in the quietest neighborhood we could afford—”

“Honey, we already bought and furnished the damn thing. Let her in.”

“Yes, yes.”

“You can drop the formalities as well, darling, I’m not your boss anymore.”

Juno snorted as he took the gift from her. “Highly unlikely, Bud. It’s the eternal scholarship student in him.”

“And Jet!” Ransom enunciated from the door, which made Juno roll his eye. “It has been quite a while.”

“Yes.”

From somewhere down the hall, Rita’s voice filtered in. “Mista Jet’s here?”

“Yeah!” Juno shouted back.

“Oh boy, oh boy!”

The door scraped before Ransom could shut it behind them.

“What— Oh! Vespa, I didn’t see you there. Come in.”

Vespa only grumbled as she shoved a box of what seemed to be a dozen donuts into his hands.

Juno groaned, “I told you not to bring food, Vespa.”

“Well, if you’re not eating it, it’s not for you, Steel.”

“Pleasant as ever, you two,” Ransom said, the calm one for once. “Come along.”

He led them down the hall, past what seemed to be the kitchen, and to the back porch. Buddy spotted picture frames, with photographs of Juno and Ransom, Rita and Juno, Juno and his brother, Juno and his old friends… Not a lot of images of Ransom with anyone else, except maybe for a photograph she also had at her and Jet’s apartment of their first successful job together.

She didn’t know what to feel about that.

The party set-up was very Juno and Rita, meaning it was humble and a little kitschy. With lights strung up around the yard and a table for six next to a projector set up next to the grill.

They’d surprisingly left Rita by the grill, which was more trust that Buddy knew Juno had in her.

“Hi, everyone! Welcome to our party!” Rita greeted, waving her tongs around as she gestured to the backyard. “Oh, this is so excitin’. Mista Steel, do you think Mista Mercury and Miss Sasha will make it?”

Juno walked up and grabbed the tongs from her. “Uh… I dunno, Rita. Maybe tomorrow, if we’re lucky.”

“Ooh! Overnight party! It’s a sleepover!”

“N… No.”

* * *

Vespa didn’t like parties.

Actually, scratch that. Vespa hated parties.

She didn’t know why she let Steel drag her to this one. Like, sure, Steel saved her life maybe once, and sure, maybe she got along okay with the lady. But she _hated_ parties.

A laugh like tinkling bells brought her back to reality as Steel laughed into his food and Ransom hid his face in embarrassment.

“Well, I’ll tell you all a funny story,” Buddy said, fully grabbing all of Vespa’s attention like she always did. “And actually, this involves you as well, Juno. Let this serve as an announcement. Remember how you asked Jet and I to your party?”

Steel swallowed his food and bumped Ransom’s shoulder, displacing his hands from his face. “This is what I was telling you about. I walked up to her, right, and she and Vespa talk to each other—”

Buddy held a finger up, effectively shutting him up, which was honestly a bit impressive. “Do you want to tell the story?”

“Right, right. Go ahead.”

“So, as Juno was just about to spoil. Two beautiful women were introduced three weeks ago. Only, just that morning, I came to realize that dear Mister Sikuliaq over here was about to cancel his gym membership because of our rent. And I gave him the most brilliant plan— there had been a couple’s discount for that gym.”

“There was?” Ransom asked, looking to Steel. “Love, why have _we_ never…”

“Well, you said you don’t like seeing people when you exercise.”

“Yes, but—”

“Pete, Juno. Have your spat _after_ I finish my story.”

“Okay.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Buddy cleared her throat, then glanced at Vespa. Quickly too, as if to check that she was paying attention.

“So,” she continued. “That morning, I told Jet we wouldn’t need to get rid of our memberships if we just combined accounts _or_ used that discount.”

“With ulterior motives,” Jet said.

“Shush, you. So, imagine my surprise when Juno Steel corners me as we’ve just fooled the clerk into thinking Jet Sikuliaq and Buddy Aurinko have been dating for five years and _almost_ ruins my plans.”

“What.” Vespa found herself saying around the same time as Steel and Ransom.

Buddy sat back, looking pleased with herself.

Then, Steel said, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“That’s actually very smart.”

“Ransom! Don’t enable her! She almost ruined her chances with—”

Vespa got up from her seat.

“Uh…”

“Where’s your bathroom,” she said, making her way to the porch.

“F-first door to the right in the hall!”

God, she hated parties.

* * *

Buddy found her sitting on the boot of Juno’s old car, on her phone.

“Ordering a ride home? We could drive you,” she offered.

Vespa didn’t say anything.

Buddy took a seat next to her and looked up at the sky.

It was a great deal less light polluted, where Juno and Ransom picked to stay, with stars littering the firmament. The moon was high above them, bright enough to light the streets.

A lot quieter too. Maybe they had the right idea.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

Buddy looked away from the moon and towards Vespa. “Excuse me?”

“You know, if you thought I was coming onto you and didn’t like me—” Vespa sighed, putting her phone down. “Except, that doesn’t make sense either, because you started talking to me too? So, I’m just confused here.”

“Darling, what.”

Vespa groaned, then faced her properly. “Listen. I like you, okay? You’re kind of literally the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and I… want to know more about you and all that stuff. I’ve kinda wanted to ask you out for a while now but… I dunno. Plus, I didn’t want Steel trying to speak for me or whatever so I just. Kinda pined from afar. Whatever.”

Buddy…

Well, she didn’t exactly know what to say to that. But she did know that she didn’t have time to think about that, with the almost jittery way Vespa was talking.

The first thing that came to mind was, “I left that out from earlier.”

“What.”

She looked down at her lap. “Part of the reason why I wanted to keep going to the gym was… because you were there.”

Vespa made a confused face. “What?”

“I don’t make a habit of repeating myself, darling.”

“Sorry, I just. It doesn’t make sense.”

Buddy sighed. “I’m _trying_ to make sense of it, Vespa, please.”

Vespa brought a foot up, jostling the car a bit.

“I’m a bit of an open book to our dear old Jet. The first thing I told him when he said he was going to cancel our gym membership was that I had to beat your rock climbing record.”

“Which you can’t…”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

Vespa grinned. “Yeah?”

“If I set my mind to it, I could.”

“Yeah, well, set your mind on asking me out properly.”

That startled a laugh out of her. Vespa, bashfully so, followed suit.

“Well,” Buddy said, between breaths. “Vespa, what do you say to a lunch date next week?”

“Where to?”

“Oh, well, that’ll spoil the surprise. I suppose I’ll just take you to it.”

“Ah, you’re _that_ type, huh?” Vespa challenged. “Alright then. How about you give me your number and then it’s a date?”

Buddy fished her phone out of her jacket with what felt like fondness in her cheeks. “Very smoothly done, Miss Ilkay.”

Vespa laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed that, yell at me on any of [these accounts](https://stubbornjerk.carrd.co)


End file.
